The Grim Reaper and Other Stories
by Kaleyanne
Summary: A collection of drabbles about various characters and situations. SEP. 25: My semiserious look at HieixBotan.
1. The Grim Reaper

The Grim Reaper 

"I'm sorry, Ayame!" Botan wailed. "I can't believe I booked Hinageshi's flying lesson for today... The one day all this week I wasn't off!"

"It's all right," Ayame soothed. "It's probably better that I handle this unexpected death. I remember this happening before. And Hinageshi only seems to learn from you, anyway."

"I guess," Botan said. "But next time, I swear I'll double- and triple- and even quadruple-check! I won't ruin your day off again, Ayame, really...!"

So Ayame was sent to confirm Yusuke's suspicions: he was definitely dead.

"So who are you, anyway?" the delinquent asked. "The Grim Reaper?"


	2. The Greater Challenge

The Greater Challenge 

Kuwabara gasped as the vines released him. He pulled off his shoes and socks, wincing. His feet had turned blue from lack of blood... Unlike his arms. They were covered in red.

He glared balefully up at the fox demon. Kurama's face gave away nothing, but he knelt and began to examine Kuwabara: he dabbed something onto the welts the vines had left, bandaged the cuts Kuwabara had sustained in the fight...

Touch gentle, eyes narrowed and clear, long red hair a wave falling off his shoulder...

Kuwabara didn't know what the greater challenge was: fighting Kurama... or resisting him.


	3. Cool, Cool Considerate Girl

Cool, Cool Considerate Girl 

Maybe it was the cigarette. Maybe it was just who she was.

Either way, Koenma was fighting a bright red blush and Shizuru wasn't. Shizuru was looking her brother and Botan straight in the eye.

Koenma felt like shrinking and crawling into his desk cabinet. Botan was fighting a giggle fit, and Kuwabara looked extremely smug. Koenma could see them planning how to break their discovery in the most embarrassing way.

But Shizuru calmly exhaled some smoke and smirked.

"Do you have a way to get out of this?" Koenma hissed.

"No," she answered. "You just look really funny right now."


	4. Put It in Your Pocket

**Put It in Your Pocket**

It was there. Taunting her, mocking her, blocking her goal. And looking so stupid!

It was begging to be taken, and she felt devious enough today to—

"Don't. You. Dare," Koenma snapped, shoving Shizuru away. "I have to keep it with me at ALL times. It could be the fate of the human, spirit and demon realms you're playing with! It's power beyond belief that I have to—mphhff!"

Shizuru broke the kiss and smirked, holding up the Mafuukan pacifier she had taken while the spirit realm's prince ranted.

"So put it in your pocket," she said, grabbed his cape.


	5. Icy Dream

Icy Dream 

The dream self sat in a tree, laying out a plan of attack. Melt the homes, burn the citizens, find the ones who made Mother cry.

But the girl who walked by here every day was back. Something drew him to her, and as she reached for something around her neck, he finally realized what it was. Her hiruiseki necklace perfectly matched the dream self's. The dream girl and his dream self were twins!

With a start, Kuwabara awoke. An icy feeling crept into his chest. He could hear Hiei snoring obliviously on the other side of the hotel room.


	6. Dreams and Nightmares

**Dreams and Nightmares**

Neither had slept since then; Ayame was worried. They sat in Botan's suite all night, and while neither required sleep, both girls liked pleasant dreams. Ayame feared they were afraid of nightmares. Sickening to imagine that Yakumo, hurting Botan so badly, might finally defeat the girls' cheerful spirits.

When she could take it no more, Ayame entered Botan's suite. Hinageshi was lying with her head in Botan's lap, and Botan looked tired and dreary. Ayame sat down behind her. Reassuring, if not demonstrative.

Botan understood, and, smiling, leaned back and embraced Hinageshi gently, whom she had just lulled to sleep.


	7. Sedate

**Sedate **

Hiei had not seen Botan in nearly a week, but he was still exhausted. Whether or not he liked her wasn't the issue; being dragged on that blasted oar from sunup to sundown to every place in all three worlds with junk food or karaoke was just not enjoyable for him. If Mukuro had dragged him out for pizza and a slightly less than professional rendition of the latest pop song, it would be the same thing. He would be waiting outside her door, right now, ready to tell her where to shove it.

But when the door opened, it wasn't a girl with light-blue hair. Rather, the woman was dressed in a grayish kimono and had much darker hair, shorter and fastened much more sedately at the nape of her neck. Unlike Botan, no wisps blew about her head, loosened from her constant bouncing. Her eyes weren't bright, either, but a slow, mournful shade of blue.

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Botan is waiting for you," the dark woman informed him in a pleasant, yet tired voice. "She has not spoken of anything but you, Hiei, in quite some time."

Hiei gave Ayame a curt nod and stepped inside, but not without noting which of the personal suites was hers.


End file.
